Top 10 Romantic comedies of the 90s-2000s'

I’ve always loved rom coms. I love the warm, fuzzy feeling I get after watching a good rom com. The thing about romantic comedies or chick flicks is that even though they are far from reality, they give most viewers hope. And while men will deny watching them, many of them secretly do watch these movies and enjoy them too!
So, here it is. A list of my Top 10 All time favorite Romantic Comedies. I’ve watched pretty much every rom com that released from the 90s’ onwards, so I consider myself an expert on this subject.

10. The Holiday

Nancy Meyers (Director of Something's Gotta Give) brings a sweet movie about how a holiday can truly change one's life. With a stellar cast consisting of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law, there's no way she could have gone wrong, anyway. 
The two main characters are Amanda (Cameron Diaz), a highly successful movie trailer editor in Los Angeles, and Iris (Kate Winslet), a lovesick society column editor for The Daily Telegraph in London. The story is set in motion when each of them suffers a heartache: Amanda discovers that her boyfriend has cheated on her, while the object of Iris' unrequited love announces his engagement at the office Christmas party. Seeking an escape, Iris proposes the home swap on the internet, posting an ad about her quaint cottage in Surrey in the English countryside. Her offer is eagerly accepted by Amanda, who lives in a luxurious home in L.A. but is stressed over her break-up. Each woman discovers a new way of life and another chance at a romance. A perfect movie to cheer you up on a Saturday night at home!

9. A Lot Like Love

This 2005 film starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet is about how life can come in the way of love. Constructed as a series of chapters that take place at a turning point in each character's life, the story moves over seven years. Emily Friehl (Amanda) and Oliver Martin's (Ashton)  first encounter is on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City, during which they join the mile high club. He has hopes of becoming an Internet entrepreneur and, certain of his future success, gives her his phone number and suggests she call him in six years to see if his prediction came true. She ends up calling him much sooner than that and their star-crossed love story carries on. Each time they meet, the pull they feel towards each other is immense but the timing is always wrong. Will they realise that what feels a lot like love is indeed the real thing? You have to watch it to find out!

8. 10 Things I hate about you

This movie is a remake of the classic Shakespare play "The Taming of the Shrew.", set in a modern day highschool. Made in 1999, it stars the late Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in lead roles. The talented cast also comprises of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The story begins with Cameron (Joseph), a new student at Padua High, who has a major crush on Bianca Stratford, a beautiful sophomore with one problem: she isn't allowed to date. And neither is her "shrew" sister, Katarina (Julia), a senior who loves indie rock and feminist prose and hates conformity. But Kat and Bianca's father alter's his house rule: now, Bianca can date as long as Kat has a date, too. So, in order for Cameron to date Bianca, he has to find someone to date Kat.Enter the misunderstood bad boy, Patrick (Heath) Although Hollywood has churned out numerous high school movies, 10 Things I hate about you stands out because of it's star cast, humor, script and dialogues. If you haven't watched this yet, please do, if only to pay homage to Heath Ledger.

7. He’s Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 film based on the self-help book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.
I've read the book and while it was indeed a revelation to a naive teenager (I read it 4 years ago) like me, for once, a film based on a book outdid the book. While the book is mainly non fictional, the movie manages to create lovable characters and stories to get it's message across. The story focuses on Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a clueless journalist looking desperately for love and Alex (Justin Long), a bar owner who educates Gigi on the pyschology of men. The ensemble cast also includes Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Conolly and Ben Affleck. The four main love stories are connected by inter-related characters. A must-watch for every woman who has ever mis-interepreted a man's signs. Never again will you waste your time on a man who is not that into you after watching this movie!

6. While You Were Sleeping

Sandra Bullock has starred in some of the best romantic comedies made and this is why she features in two of the movies on this list. While You Were Sleeping is an adorable 1995 movie about a lonely ticket collector, Lucy (Sandra Bullock) who pretends to be engaged to the man whose life she saves. However, while her "fiance" (Peter Callaghan) is in a coma, she ends up falling in love with his brother, Jack Callaghan (played by the dashing Bill Pullman). While the love story is endearing, another highlight of this movie is the eccentric yet highly endearing Callaghan family who welcome Lucy into their family whole-heartedly. This is one of those movies you can watch over and over again and never tire of.

5. You’ve Got Mail

This is the story about two owners of competing bookstores who hate each other in person but fall in love on the internet. Released in 1998, this movie stars rom com experts and sweethearts, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. This lead pair creates as much magic in this movie as they created in Sleepless in Seattle in 1993.Each of them has attractive partners but can't help being drawn to each other online. This movie shows that true love can be found (and can find you) anywhere.

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4. Two Weeks’ Notice

Two Weeks' Notice explores the relationship between an intelligent lawyer, Lucy (Sandra) and her wealthy, charming boss, George (Hugh). George hires Lucy as Chief Counsel for his real estate enterprise. However, he soon starts relying on her for every mundane decision  of his life. Tired of being his nanny-cum-assistant, Lucy serves her two weeks' notice to him. But is George the only one who needs Lucy or is there more their relationship than the usual boss-employee one? The chemistry between Hugh and Sandra is great in this movie and Hugh shines in this rom com due to his trademark accent, unique expressions and inherent wit and charm.

3. Bridget Jones’ Diary

Based on the novel by Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones' Diary is a hilarious rom com about an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year's Resolution, Bridget (Renee Zellwegger) decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss (Hugh Grant) takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget's band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance (Colin Firth) who Bridget cannot seem to stop running into or help finding quietly attractive. This movie is worth watching for Renee's hilarious antics, Hugh's indisputable charm and Colin Firth's portrayal of 'Mr. Darcy' yet again. 

2. Someone Like You

Jane Goodale (Ashley Judd) has everything going for her. She's a producer of a popular daytime talk show, and is in a hot romance with the show's dashing executive producer Ray (Greg Kinnear). When Ray unexpectedly dumps her, she begins an extensive study of male behavior to try to find out what makes men tick. Her "research" leads her to become an overnight sensation/Guru for single women everywhere. When Jane begins to use her womanizing roommate and co-worker Eddie (Hugh Jackman) as fodder for her research, she finds both humor and answers where they were least expected.The reason to watch this movie? It stars Hugh Jackman! You don't need any other reasons! This 2001 movie marks the beginning of my 9 year crush on the delectable Hugh Jackman.

1. Love Actually

Love Actually follows the lives of eight very different couples in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
The characters are falling in love, falling out of love, some are with right people, some are with the wrong people, some are looking to have an affair, some are in the period of mourning; a capsule summary of reality. Love begins and love ends. They flirt a lot. They are all flirting with love. At all ages and social levels, love is the theme. Romantic love and brotherly love is the hotchpotch through out the movie.This is the most uplifting rom com you will ever watch. And with an ensemble that boasts of Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Emma Thomspon, Kiera Knightley, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman and Billy Bob Thornton, amongst others, you know you are in for a Christmas treat! Watch it in the holiday season or simply whenever you need to renew your faith in love; the one thing that makes the world go round.

Love

Love-this one word means so much to so many,
It is the ultimate purpose of existence,
Yet to some it is still a mystery,
A puzzle that cannot be fathomed

Is it acceptable to not understand it’s meaning,
Even after twenty odd years spent on this planet?
Is it wrong to consider all love quotes as mere ramblings of the weak?
Relying on themselves is what the strong do- is it not?

So many unanswered questions,
So many unresolved thoughts,
My soul knows that my mind is right,
Yet it’s desire to feel this love someday is immense

My family has graciously bestowed love on me,
Yet I am not sure if what I feel toward them is love or simply gratitude,
Love is supposed to overpower logic and reasoning,
But I have yet to feel that way

As much as it is an unknown and dangerous concept,
For letting go completely can only result in pain,
My greatest fear is never getting to know this feeling,
My biggest worry is to die an incomplete being

Rubix soul

‘Life is a gift’, they say,
‘Make every moment worthwhile’
We’re supposed to keep unhappiness at bay,
And through our sorrows muster a smile,

It’s all easier said than done,
Some hearts rarely find peace.
To us, these words, merely tease,
They’re a reminder of what we can never have.
Be it in the long or short run.

The clock ticks steadily away,
Before we know it, life has passed us by.
Nothing gained, everything lost,
Breaths exhaled at a high cost.

Why were we constantly searching?
And what were we looking for?
Unhappy memories keep surfacing,
Regret at actions not taken, dangerously lurking.

Easy to heal are wounds that are visible,
But what cures an empty soul?
Action can be taken for reasons identifiable,
But how do I align disparate parts of my rubix soul?

How do I align disparate parts of my rubix soul?
How do I fix it, when I don’t know why it broke?

New Year

A New Year has begun,
They say wondrously,
What is so new about it?
I ask ponderously

The cycle repeats,
Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn,
A new beginning, they say,
A continuation, I counter

If I were wrong,
There would be something tangible at the end of each year,
Instead, there’s nothing to show,
All momentary; laughter, a smile, fear, a tear

The year has gone,
Another one arrives,
With each celebration, I realize,
Nothing is real; it’s all an illusion,
It’s just a way to present time,
It was created to make it bearable,
To quantify this journey of ours,
To make it less frightening,

New is good and old is bad,
They lie to us,
But I’m not buying it,
A New Year is not new,
It’s just an old, ageless toy,
Gift wrapped in new paper…

Words; a short poem

Tangled up, messy, hurtful,
Kind, encouraging, hopeful,
They can be anything we want,
Just like our minds,
Despite having control over them, sometimes we don’t,
Apologies are made,
Yet sometimes it’s too late,
Once spoken they rarely fade,
They have hurt you like a spade,
All that is left to say is,
Don’t give them the power to affect you,
Today should be a day of bliss,
Not one that is blue,
Let it hit and miss,
Please don’t let my harsh words affect you…

Mystical Matheran! My much needed getaway from Mumbai!

I love impromptu trips! The uncertainty of the journey is what makes the trip exhilarating for me. As I bumped into numerous people, each sweatier than the last, in a crowded Mumbai street, I knew I needed to get away from the throngs of the city. So I set out with two of my girlfriends to explore the quaint city of Matheran on one Saturday morning in January.

Getting there was fairly uncomplicated. After a one and a half hour train ride from Mumbai to Neral, we were almost at our destination. At Neral, we vacillated between boarding the toy train to Matheran and hailing a cab to the city. When we finally decided to board the toy train, all the second class seats had been sold out and we were forced to purchase first class seats. Second class seats are Rs. 20 each while first class seats are ten times more at Rs. 200 per person. The actual difference between first class and second class seats? Not much! The lesson learned? Indecision can cost you 180 bucks! While the toy train is cute (for lack of a better word) it really isn’t very efficient. After waiting for the delayed train to move for half an hour, we were finally on our way (at snail speed, however) The slow journey through the mountains was made slower by frequent stops on the way. But the sluggishness of the train was compensated by the scenic view. Literally cutting through the mountains, the train allows you to view Matheran from within it’s core. And when we encountered the breathtaking views of lush mountains and deep valleys, a few delays were forgiven. In fact, all our big city impatience was replaced by a sense of calmness.

The moment you land in Matheran, you realize two things; 1. Being one of few cities in the world that doesn’t allow motor vehicles within the city means that there is zero pollution here 2. Matheran is characterized by distinct red mud that will cling to your shoes and jeans, no matter what you do. After lunch and a quick nap at the hotel, we walked towards sunset point (Porcupine point), which was conveniently located at a distance of only 500 meters from our hotel situated close to the Bazaar.

Off the beaten path

Sunset point did not disappoint; the view of the setting sun over the sprawling mountains was nothing short of spectacular. An interesting sight at sunset point was the cluster of horses waiting patiently for their riders to finish admiring the sunset and get back on them. Horses in Matheran all adorn saddles with their names on them and these range from quirky (Romantic boy) to common (Raja)! Another display that caught our attention was one that read ‘Best Vegetable Sandwich in Maharashtra’ at the only food stall at sunset point. Although we had helped ourselves to a heavy thali lunch at our hotel just two hours ago, we couldn’t resist and simply had to satiate our curiosity. The verdict? Definitely not the best sandwich in Maharashtra! While we indulged in our sandwiches, we didn’t realize how quickly dusk was descending. By the time we started trekking down, all the other tourists had already headed down to the main market. Luckily we had a torch that served as our guide towards the Bazaar. Any sound or rustling of leaves on the dark pathway made us jumpy; this trip had become way too adventurous for our liking and now all we really wanted was to see some crowd! Suddenly being surrounded by a multitude of people in Mumbai didn’t seem like such a bad thing. We reached a path that forked and we had no clue which direction to head. It was then that we spotted two kind men who advised us to take a left. Once we took the left, we soon noticed groups of tourists ahead and simply followed them to safety! Our frayed nerves could only be soothed by shopping and so that was next on the agenda. Matheran’s Bazaar has many tiny shops full of curios and unique mementos. Matheran’s specialties, however, are chikki, fudge, honey and footwear. For as little as R.s.100, we found locally produced Kohlapuri chappals and strappy sandals. Bazaar street also has a couple of cheap dining options with Pav bhaji, Vada pav and chaat being the most popular food items. Some of the colonial-style guesthouses and hotels in the vicinity also offer sumptuous Parsi delicacies.

What’s in a name?
Discovered by Hugh Malet in 1850, Matheran literally means ‘jungle on top’ as it is at an altitude of approximately 800 metres above sea level. Lord Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay laid the foundations of the development as a future hill station. The British developed Matheran as a popular resort to beat the summer heat of the west coast.
And it is being used for exactly this purpose by tourists mainly from neighboring cities; Mumbai and Pune.

Early to bed and early to rise

After gorging on our dinner, we headed to bed early as we had been warned by our horse keeper that if we didn’t head out at 5.30am, we wouldn’t catch the sun rise in time at Paranoma point. When we woke up at 5.45am, we had half a mind to simply sleep in but thankfully, we braved the chilly early morning air and headed to our horses. As we trotted on the extremely well-trained ponies under the moon and stars, we silently soaked the magical moment.
When we finally arrived at sunrise point, we were pleased to find company. Scores of tourists (some in their PJs) had also sacrificed their sleep to catch the first rays of the morning sun. A decision no one regretted; as per the glow on everyone’s sleepy faces. The power of nature is such that it recharges, rejuvenates and nourishes. I don’t know a better way to start the day than sipping a cup of hot tea and gazing at the all-encompassing Sahadyri ranges all around you.
Energized, we got back on our ponies to explore the rest of Matheran. We visited Echo point, Lord’s point and Honeymoon hill. While the view is spectacular from every point, the spot that was the most impactful was the charming Charlotte lake. Gazing at the still lake, I felt as tranquil as the calm water itself.
What followed next was a must-do for any thrill seeker. Valley Crossing from Honeymoon point to Louisa Point is a once in a lifetime experience. This entails crossing 900 feet in a span of approximately 3 minutes while being harnessed on a rope. What started out as a terrifying experience soon became an enjoyable one as I realized that instead of looking at the 1200 feet below me I needed to look around. Met by a glorious mountain in any direction I looked, I have never felt more in sync with nature.

And that is precisely what Matheran is all about; oneness with nature. This eco-sensitive hill station not only makes for an escape from city mayhem, it introduces you to a whole new world.

Fact file:
Getting there:
- Matheran is located about 100 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune. Matheran is connected by a toy train to the mainline rail route at Neral Junction. Neral Junction is well connected by local trains from CST along the CST-Karjat route.
- Matheran can be reached from Mumbai via Navi Mumbai and Panvel via the old Mumbai-Pune road (NH-4)
- From Neral, one can either rent a taxi (50 rupees for a shared cab, 250 for the whole car) to the entrance of Matheran. From the Dasturi Park (last taxi/car stop at the entrance of the city) at Matheran, one can walk to the city center or rent a horse (150-200 rupees per horse).
Accommodation:
- Matheran has a range of options: from MTDC for budget stay to The Verandah in the forest; a British Colonial era bungalow converted to a heritage hotel. Affordable 3-star accommodation is available but booking in advance is essential especially for weekends and during the peak seasons (Dec-Jan and April-June).
Travel tips:
- Carry a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. Matheran is quite dusty and there is red soil everywhere.
- Avoid carrying too much baggage with you. You can't take it up by car and need to carry it while walking or on horseback.
- The weather is pleasant throughout the year. While the views are spectacular during the monsoons, the ground is also slippery and wet.
- Take a cab from Neral station to Dasturi or vice versa if you are in a hurry. It takes 20 minutes by cab and 40 minutes by the toy train.

25 Random Facts about me-not like you give a rat's ass but read anyway :)

1. I love the song, 'I like big butts and I cannot lie, and you other brothers can't deny. When a girl walks in with an itsy bitsy waist and a round thing in your face, you get sprung'! And will sing it anywhere! I once sang this song during a mall activation, in front of about 50 people and won a gift hamper!

2. I am a VERY bad singer.

3. I have walked into the male loo twice in my life. It was NOT pleasant!

4. I LOVE romantic comedies (I've watched every rom com that released during the 80s till present date) and chick literature.

5. My parents wanted to name me 'Anita' to rhyme with my sisters' names; 'Ekta' and 'Amrata'. Thank God, they then realized that I am unique and there was no need to ensure that my name rhyme with my sisters'. Why they then chose one of the most COMMON Indian names for me is still a mystery but I prefer 'Anjali' to 'Anita'-no offence to my prior boss!

6. Tears do not fall out of my eyes! Seriously! When I cry my eyes get moist but I think there is something wrong with my tear duct! I once saw an optometrist who gave me eye drops so tears could fall out of my eyes but that didn't work...

7. I have had a bad hair day every day of my life.

8. I LOVE fiction and cannot read non-fiction.

9. I don't like pets-I can't take care of myself, why would I want to clean an animal's poo?! I love kids but am not too keen on cleaning a kid's poo, either.

10. I didn't find Tom and Jerry funny, as a kid. I thought it was kind of dumb and I always felt bad for Tom. Jerry was such a pain in the a&*. Similarly, I've always liked Veronica more than Betty in Archie comics-because everyone else likes Betty and I always support the unloved characters! This is also why I don't like Jennifer Aniston in Friends-everyone goes on about her being 'America's sweetheart'-whatever! I prefer Monica. Anyday.

11. I am addicted to Grey's anatomy. I think it is the best TV show ever.

12. I liked an Indian model from the 90s' and 2000. He is called Tarun Raghavan, no one knows him and I am his only fan!

13. I am terrible at flirting. In fact, I can't flirt to save my life. Which is why it annoys me when people say 'Geminis are big flirts'. Not frigging true!

14. My sister calls me butterfingers. I always break things, drop things, forget responsibilities; I kind of live in my own world. My world is more fun than the real world.

15. I love laughing but something has to be truly funny to make me laugh. Very few people can make me laugh. I only like those people and think the rest are losers!

16. My father once spotted me talking to myself. I was giving an "interview"- pretending to be at an awards ceremony and talking about my rise to stardom. My father looked highly disappointed and worried and I sometimes spot him staring at me, no doubt, wondering how he gave birth to such an oddball.

17. I LOVE carbs! Pizza, pasta, lasagne-bring it on!

18. I am very untidy. I can't help it. I don't care.

19. I once almost fractured my leg after tripping in the shower. I was dancing in the shower. Good times.

20. I hate Harry Potter, Star Wars, The lord of the rings and other such unbelievable, unrealistic crap.

21. I am running out of stuff to write and am getting frustrated. I usually cry when I am frustrated. This leads to no tears actually coming out. Which leads to my getting even more frustrated. It's a vicious circle.

22. I used to cry before EVERY exam in school and University. Crying is a passion of mine.

23. When I was younger, I thought 'dream sequences' in movies were the real dreams of the lead actors. Similarly, I thought watching a movie in 'black' (buying tickets in black) meant watching the movie in black n white n not color.

24. I love pouting in pictures. I can't help it.

25. I love doing the shocked expression in pictures. I really can't help it.

Uncontactable 'Contacts'!

It is said that in this world, it's not what you know, it's who you know that matters. I have resisted this ideology for as long as I possibly could but ever since I moved to Mumbai in 2008, I realised that 'contacts' are more valuable than true friends, here.

It's no wonder that school and university are so different from the real world. While you are a student, your results are directly proportional to your effort. There are no other factors that affect your grades (or atleast, there shouldn't be) Teachers are sometimes found to be biased towards certain students but generally, right and wrong answers are pretty distinct and there isn't much of a grey area while grading students.

Real life, on the other hand, works very differently. Nepotism is an accepted concept in almost every industry, today. The Indian film industry, Politics and Businesses have encouraged nepotism for decades, now. While the youth were known to want to stand on their own two feet in the past, more and more young people are relying on their families' contacts to help them achieve their dreams, sooner.

When I returned to Mumbai, after living away for eight years, needless to say, I felt like a lost sheep. To make matters worse, 'well-wishers' frightened me by bringing to light the fact that I hardly had any 'contacts' in Mumbai. When I countered their opinions by saying that I would find a job in my chosen field without the aid of any contacts, I was met with comments such as 'You don't know how it works in Mumbai, beta. You're so naive'

Picturing a future entailing sitting at home for the rest of my life, I began my campaign to round up suitable contacts. I contacted cousins around the world, distant relatives based in Mumbai and friends' of friends. These conversations were always awkward as I generally hate asking for favors. This might have something to do with my pride, inherited from my parents who always encourage self-sufficiency.

Nonetheless, 'marketing' myself to these contacts, helped immensely. A friend of my cousin based in America, ultimately came to the rescue. I got my first job in Mumbai through him and while I actually hated every minute of it, the pay cheque at the end of the month made it worthwhile (not too worthwhile as Indians aren't the best paymasters) and I began my journey in the working world of Mumbai. When recession hit and I lost the afore-mentioned job, I had to restart my networking rounds and this time, I dreaded networking even more. The reason being that I hadn't kept in much contact with the contacts once I got my job and I knew that if I resumed contact with them, they would know that it was because I needed their help again.

My all-knowing sisters would interject whenever I complained to them about how awkward it was to re-establish contact with people by saying that it's common knowledge that you're supposed to maintain contact with everyone you meet. You never know who will come handy in your hour of need. While I would grumpily protest that when one is so busy with work, friends and family, it is difficult keeping in contact with acquaintances, my wise sisters would ask me to just suck it up and deal with it because everyone else managed to do that.

However, if I have learned anything in my twenty two years on this earth, it is that one cannot change one's basic personality. In fact, as we get older, it becomes more unlikely that our personalities will ever change. Being a true Gemini, (extremely friendly one instant, extremely shy the other) I have come to realise that I am just not going to be a social butterfly. I cannot flit about a crowded room, showering fake compliments on everyone present. Actually, if I were to be completley honest, I suppose I could be a social butterfly but not at all times. As I result, I end up striking people as weird. I know no one else is to blame for this as I would also think a person who greets me warmly one day and completely ignores me the next, is strange. In my defence, I really can't control it. If I am in the mood to be a recluse, nothing and no one will be able to bring me out of my hibernation. I blame it on the stars under which I was born.

All said and done, after being in India for nearly two years now, I now have an impressive list of contacts (I owe a lot of this to my prior job in PR)on my two BBs (Blackberry and black book) The only glitch?! I hesistate in contacting about 70% of this list and haven't contacted about 60% of my list for a second time!

I now wonder if I was better off before I knew all these people; at least back then my excuse for being unsociable was not knowing enough people. Now, the reasons I am unsociable are because I am highly lazy and an introvert 50% of the time.

Why Women Need To Be Superficial Too

I recently read an article about a 42-year old writer, Lori Gottlieb, who sparked a new age revolution by advising women over 30 to settle down with Mr. Right Now instead of continuing to wait for Mr. Right.

Her reasoning was that there simply aren’t enough good men to go around (For every 100 single women in the 45-65 age group, there are only 75 single men in the same age demographic in the U.S.) Thus, if you’ve found a reasonably decent man, then hold on to him tighter than Fevicol sticks. Note that by a reasonably decent man what she really meant was any male that moves, showers daily, is not completely emotionally retarded and is capable of keeping the toilet seat down (okay, let’s face it, no such man has graced the earth with his presence yet)

Now, being a single woman who hasn’t found my soul mate despite sincerely looking for the last six years, I do understand where Gottlieb was coming from. She herself is a 42- year old single woman who claims to have lost out on several good men because of her selectiveness over the years.

Although the statistics mentioned above pertain to America (The Indian government doesn’t have the time or money, for that matter, to spend on researching single men to women ratios and has more pressing issues like poverty and female infanticide to deal with), these statistics are an indication of the scenario worldwide. I know this because the majority of my female friends around the world are beautiful, intelligent and independent women who are single. The ones who are in relationships are at least twice as smart and attractive as their partners and appear to have settled for less than they deserve.

And this is why my opinion differs from Gottlieb’s. I believe women should not have to settle. We all deserve to be with our ideal men because these men cannot just be figments of our overactive imaginations. They must exist. They’ve not come into our lives yet but that does not meet our paths won’t cross in the future.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not asking women to be delusional. All I’m saying is that as a gender, we’ve come a long way. We’ve created strong identities. We’ve accomplished the impossible. We’ve fought for our rights. We’ve stood up for our beliefs against parents, Governments, relatives and chauvinistic ex boyfriends, amongst others. If we can achieve unbridled success in our careers, why can’t we find our ‘Mc.Dreamy’ (Patrick Dempsey in Grey’s Anatomy-watch it to know what I mean) too?

As much as I hate to admit it, we need to learn a very important lesson from men. Every man I have ever met, no matter how fat, short, stupid, ugly or bald he is, has one enviable quality; high self-esteem. While every woman, no matter how stunning, will think her thighs are too thick, her hair too dull or her eyes too far apart, men believe they are perfect just the way they are. I sometimes wonder if they see their true reflections in mirrors or if they see Bradley Cooper staring back at them. I don’t mean to be mean, I am writing this only because I’ve had way too many experiences of sub standard guys approach me and my gorgeous friends at clubs, truly believing they stand a chance with us. As a result, my friends and I started believing we were sub standard! The fact that only the ugly men, as opposed to the good-looking guys always approached us, meant that we deserved these second class men, right?! Wrong.

All this really proves is that, men never settle! They always aim for women who look better than they do and more often than not, they end up with these women. Why? Because as women get older and nowhere closer to Mr. Right, we start feeling dejected. We start believing that we’re incapable of being loved. When an ugly, Mr. Right Now steps in, we’re more than happy to settle down with him because by then our self confidence has been shattered so much that we feel grateful to be loved, at all.

This happens even more in Indian society where men have the upper hand in choosing their brides. Many Indian men have been known to ‘select’ younger sisters of the prospective brides they’ve met, simply because the younger sisters were fairer or prettier than the girls intended for them (fair and pretty are actually synonyms in the minds of some Indian communities)

Being the more mature sex, we tend to pick our partners due to their personalities as opposed to their looks from a very young age. However, my argument is this; if a guy is ugly, he has to have a good personality-otherwise, no one will like him! Thus, don’t fall for the ‘he doesn’t look great but has a great personality’ justification that most women give themselves and others for their Shrek-like partners! Don’t accept a guy’s arrogance simply because he’s good-looking, either! Women can manage to be pretty, smart, funny, interesting and humble (I am a perfect example of this!) and so men should be expected to possess all these qualities too!

Women have worked on themselves (okay, some of us, like me are naturals but don’t sweat, we can’t all be born great) to get as close to perfection as possible and it’s time men evolved too. Just because we descended from apes, doesn’t mean you have to still behave like that, men! It’s about time you learned something from women. And it’s about time we learned something from men, too. So believe in yourselves, women. The world is your oyster, there are plenty fish in the sea etc. You deserve the best men, out there. And if they refuse to evolve, don’t accept them! In short, be a man, woman! And men, it’s about time you became the whole package; smart, well-groomed, sophisticated, kind, strong, supportive, friendly, talented…it’s not too much to ask for! All you men have to do is become more like us!

Contest where you can win invites to the Manchester United Cafe Bar launch!!

So am I lucky or am I lucky?!!

Since I'm such a loyal fan and since I have my connections and am super cool (but you already knew that!), I've got access to invites to the Manchester United Cafe Bar launch in Mumbai!

I'm told this will be in Feb so the wait is almost over!

I bet you wish you followed my blog now, don't you!

Don't worry, I don't hold grudges and I'm actually feeling kind today so I feel like giving away some of these invites!

Of course, winning invites to the launch is a big deal and so you'll have to work a bit for it!

Just answer this question and who knows? You might be rubbing shoulders with Bhaichung Bhutia at the Manchester United Cafe Bar launch in Mumbai!

So here goes, all you have to do to lay your hands on the invites is:

Predict the score of the Man Utd v/s Man City match on 27th Jan

Of course the winners will only be revealed on 28th Jan when the first 5 lucky people who predict the correct score win the invites!

So be sure to post your answers on this blog before the 27th!

P.S: It's a good idea to become a follower of this blog so you know what other competitions you can participate in! Watch out for a chance to win official Manchester United merchandise in Feb too!

Glory, Glory, Man United!!!

Which Man Utd Team member would you like to meet?!

I mentioned last week that Manchester United Football Club (only the best football team in the world!) is now closer to India than ever before due to the arrival of Manchester United Cafe Bar in Mumbai (Less than a month left now-I really can't wait!)

Now that an extension of Man Utd will be in India, it's only a matter of time before our favorite Manchester United players grace us mere mortals with their presence!
This got me thinking; if you could choose from the entire team and could only meet one player, who would it be?

For most,the obvious choice would be Wayne Rooney but for some of us, Patrice Evra would be the right choice. After all, Evra was a pretty consistent player last season and in all Premier League games and didn't have even one poor performance, which wasn't easy at a time when we had no defenders.

Ryan Giggs is also a player I'm dying to meet. He has scored so many goals and just continues get stronger with each season.

Other that the players mentioned above, my favorites are also Fletcher and Vida.

So I know choosing just one Man Utd player is difficult but thought it would be fun to see who my fellow Man Utd fans in India would like to meet! So post your options here and let's conduct this poll!

Manchester United Cafe Bar is coming to Mumbai!

Just a day left for the big Manchester City v/s Manchester United match! We're going to win the game tomorrow; I can just feel it! The loss to Leeds on the 4th was disappointing to say the least, but I'm sure we'll bounce back. We have to! Glory Glory Man Utd!

Anyway, for all you Man U fans in Mumbai, India, I have some excellent news!
The greatest football club in the world is now closer to us than ever before!
Manchester United Cafe Bar, the first in India will be opening at Palladium, Phoenix Mills in Feb 2010!

Manchester United Cafe Bar will be a casual all-day dining café bar that features western cuisine and local specialties. In fact, I heard the Chefs went to Indonesia for training so they can serve the favorite dishes of Rooney, Giggs, Sir Alex and the others!

That's not all; official Man U merchandise will also be sold at the cafe.
MU Cafe Bar will be bringing a wide selection of Manchester United t-shirts, caps, bags and other memorabilia for fans and collectors to purchase at the outlet.

Not to forget, this will be the best place to watch live football matches with friends amidst equally enthusiastic fans!

I'm really excited and I think all 20 million Man U followers in India will agree that one of the best things to happen in 2010 is the arrival of the Red Devils!